Coin controlled glass



July 24, 1934. v c, BQYDSTON 1,967,737 I I com CONTROLLED GLASS Filed June 11, 1932 2 Sneets-Sheet 1 Fig]? INVENTORI f J 4 a MW 2 @Mg WITNESSES Jilly 24, 1934. V, c, BOYDSTON 1,967,737

COIN CONTROLLED GLAS S Filed June 11 1952 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 WITNESSES: I INVENTOR:

Patented July 24, 1934 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE COIN CONTROLLED GLASS Application June 11, 1932, Serial No. 616,685

Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in coin controlled glasses, such 'as telescopes, opera glasses, binoculars and the like, in which a glass is mounted within a case carried in trunnion arms,

5 in turn carried on a swivel base adapted to be fixed to any suitable, permanent support.

In the machine to which these improvements pertain, a case with locked cover is provided with apertures in front and back, coinciding, respectively, with the eye-piece and objective lenses of the glasses. Use of the glasses is prevented by a shutter, normally in position to obscure vision through the glasses, which may be removed from the line of vision by insertion of a coin and. the proper movement of an operating handle or lever.

The shutter for obscuring vision, its guidesfor sliding or support for rotation and its means of connection to the actuating mechanism may be of various forms and are not a part of this inven-- 29 tion or the subject of claims.

In the manufacture and maintenance of a machine of this type, it is desirable that the operating mechanism shall be a detachable, self-contained unit, interchangeable with all other similar units and with all cases adapted to receive them, so that a damaged or defective mechanism may be easily removed and a perfectly working unit substituted by'a person unskilled in their manufacture or repair.

The object of this invention, therefore, is to provide a unit type of actuating mechanism comprising all the essential parts of a coin controlled clutch, means of reciprocating an arm, or lever, adapted'to be connected to a shutter, a clockwork timing device, a tabulator or counter and a cover to enclose the whole.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention resides in the combination and arrangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafter described and claimed, it being understood that changes in the precise embodiment of the invention herein. disclosed may be made within the scope of what is claimed without departing from the spirit of the invention.

In carrying out my invention I have provided a rigid base for the various parts, which base is provided with holes for screws for attaching the unit to the interior of the case. The location of the screw holes and the corresponding threaded holes in the case is such that when the unit is properly mounted in the case, the driving shaft of the mechanism unit will be concentric and in alignment with the end of the shaft of an operating handle which projects into the interior of the case; and these shafts are adapted to be connected by a sleeve type of coupling which provides for slight misalignment of the respective shafts and which will permit the shafts to be readily engaged and disengaged when installing and G0 removing the unit; and the upper end of a coin chute, which directs the coin into the clutch of the mechanism, will also be in alignment with a slot in the case provided for the insertion of a coin.

In the drawings, illustrating the embodiment of this invention, Fig. 1 is a rear elevation of the complete case containing a binocular telescope with the upper portion of the cover broken away to show the mechanism unit 1 in place and coupled to the in operating handle; Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the case with a part section on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1, illustrating the alignment of the coin chute of the mechanism with the coin slot and escutcheon of the case; Fig. 3 is a larger scale half-section of the mechanism unit 1 with the section taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2; Fig. 4 is a section taken on the line 4--4- of Fig. 3, showing the detail of the shutter lever and the timing disc; Fig. 5 is a sectional elevation taken so on the line 5-5 of Fig. 3, showing the entrance of the coin; and Fig. 6 is similar to Fig. 5, with the shaft rotated to show the coin about to be rejected.

Referring to Figures 1 and 2 it will be noted 35 that the casing A is tiltably mounted in a supporting yoke B and has a forwardly projecting housing C adapted to fit against the face of the user so that apertures or sight openings D therein will allow the user to look into the adjacent 9Q lenses of the binocular telescope E. This telescope is supported entirely within the casing and housing A and C as shown in said figures so that access thereto by unauthorized persons will not be possible. The rear openings through which the binocular telescope is sighted are closed by lenses F.

The mechanism for controlling the binoculars includes an operating handle 3 which may be one of several types. It is required that it be m; mounted on the side of the case; that it have an internally projecting shaft adapted to be coupled to the operating mechanism; that it have stops or means for limiting its rotation to approximately 200 degrees; and also, that han- 0 dles so mounted on cases shall be in a similar location and have limits of rotation with reference to bosses or pads, provided in said cases to receive the operating mechanism. In working out my idea I have provided a. handle 3, having no a knob projecting away from the case, a shoulder on the shaft, a threaded portion beyond the shoulder, a portion of reduced diameter beyond the threaded portion, and a pin 40 through the last named portion, adapted to engage the coupling 4. A hole through the case, its center having a definite location with reference to pads or bosses and tapped holes therein for mounting the mechanism unit, provides bearing for the shaft.

On the threaded portion of the shaft, above mentioned, a nut 6 secures a washer 5 against the shoulder of the shaft, thereby forming a bearing against the inside wall of the case complementary to the face of the handle, bearing against the outside wall of the case. The washer 5 is keyed, or otherwise secured, to rotate with the shaft. Projections on the periphery of the washer 5 are adapted to engage a pin or lug 36, projecting inwardly from the wall of the case, thereby limiting the rotation of the handle to the included angle desired. A tubular sleeve 4, having longitudinal slots milled at both ends, is adapted to slip easily over the end of handle shaft and shaft 10, said slots receiving pins 40 and 41 of the respective shafts.

Referring to Fig. 3, a plate 8 is attached to the base 7 and provides a bearing for a drive shaft 10 and a means of securing a tabulator or counter 29. Plate 9, attached to base 7 parallel to plate 8, supports the clockwork 11. Plates 8 and 9 are of identical dimensions and outline and have lugs or formed projections adapted to receive screws 42 for attaching a cover 33. Flanges are formed on said plates, and holes provided for attaching to base with screws or rivets.

Cover 33 is a thin metal, plate bent to encircle the outline of plates 8 and 9 and is pierced with slotted openings to receive a coin chute 12, a discharge chute 34, and the end of lever 23, which projects through the cover. Said cover is also provided with holes for screws for attaching the cover to the plates 8 and 9 by means of the lugs or projections previously mentioned. The heads of certain of the cover screws are drilled for the threading through of a seal wire to prevent the removal of the cover and tampering with the mechanism or counter by unauthorized persons.

The shaft 10 merges into a disc 16 which has a flanged periphery, the height of said flange, measured perpendicularly to the face of disc, being equal to the thickness of the coin to be used in the mechanism. A portion of this flange is cut away flush with the inner face of the disc, as shown in Figs. 5 and 6, and the limits of this opening are there designated by the letters bb. Shaft 10 has a shoulder abutting the face of plate 8, adapted to locate the face of disc 16 in alignment with the corresponding face of coin chute 12. A collar 13, adjustable on shaft 10, retains said shaft in the bearing of plate 8 and, with the complementary shoulder of shaft 10, determines the endplay. Shaft 10 is also drilled and counterbored for the body and head of pin 14 which, when shafts 10 and 15 are assembled, and pin 14 pressed into the tight bore of shaft 15, provides means for maintaining said shafts in alignment, and also provides for the free rotation of shafts 10 and 15 with respect to each other. The head of pin 14, bearing on the bottom of counterbore of shaft 10, holds said shafts in proper axial relation.

Attached to main shaft 15, at the end adjacent to drive shaft 10, is a disc 17, having the same outside diameter as disc 16. Secured to the opposite end of shaft 15 is flanged disc 20, having certain notches or openings in the flanged rim for the engagement and passage of pins 21 and 22, on the adjacent face of lever 23, to be explained later. The shaft 15, extending beyond the disc 20, is drilled and slotted to receive the shaft end of the clockwork 11, which has a cross pin engaging in the slots mentioned and forming means whereby the clockwork may rotate the shaft 15.

- Referring to Fig. 5, projecting from the face of disc 16 is the pin or roller 31 and from the adjacent face of disc 17 a similar pin or roller 32, the width of said rollers being from .003 inch to .010 inch less than the axial distance between the faces of discs 16 and 17 as fixed by the thickness of washer or hub 18. The diameter of rollers 31 and 32 may be varied to a certain extent, but experiment has determined that a diameter of it; inch gives the best results with small coins to be used. The radial location of the centers of pins 31 and 32 is important and must be such as to meet the following requirements, viz; pin 31 must be at a greater distance from the center of shaft 10 than pin 32, so that discs 16 and 17 may each rotate with respect to the other without pins 31 and 32 engaging, and when a coin, here indicated by the letter A, is inserted in the space between discs 16 and 1'7, its edge resting on the rim of washer 18, and disc 16 is rotated forward, the pin 31 carrying the coin into engagement with the pin 32, a line, drawn from the points of contact of said pins with the edge of said coin, shall be a chord less than the diameter of the coin, and pressure between the pins on the edge of the coin will tend to force the coin outward against the inner periphery of a ring 19.

The cylindrical ring 19 is attached to the plate 8, concentric with the discs 16 and 17, enclosing their peripheries with reasonable clearance for the rotation of said discs, and has two slotted openings 39 and 39A, properly located angularly for the admission of a coin into the space between discs 16 and 17 through the opening l b in flanged rim of disc 16, and for the ejection of said coin, respectively. A coin chute 12 is aflixed to the outer surface of ring 19, so that the opening of the coin chute aligns with the opening 39 in ring 19. Coin chute 12 is of the form of a fiattened tube, the inside dimensions of which will accommodate the passage of the coin. One end of said coin chute is rounded off to the curvature of the outer surface of ring 19, to which it is attached, and the other end flared slightly to permit easy entrance of the coin.

- Lever 23 is a fiat piece having a pivot shaft 27 at its lower end and bearings for said shaft in plate 8 and in bracket 28, supporting the shaft parallel to shaft 15, so that lever 23 will oscillate in a plane parallel to disc 15. At the upper end of lever 23, which projects outside the enclosing cover 33 through a previously mentioned slot, is a hole for a pin, or means for attaching a link 43 for connection to a shutter 44. The central portion of the lever 23 is enlarged to accommodate an arc-shaped opening through which the shaft 15 passes and which permits the oscillation of the lever within the limits of engagement of the extremes of opening with the surface of the shaft 15, the angle of travel of the lever being, in the case shown, about forty-two degrees. On the face of lever 23, adjacent tothe disc 20, project pins 21 and 22, adapted to retain the lever in either extreme position by their engagement 0r bearing against the flanged rim of disc 20, or 1 to permit the motion of the lever to its opposite extreme by the passage of said pins through notches or openings 3'7 and 38 in rim of disc 20. A flat spiral spring 25 has the inner end secured to the hub 24, about which it is coiled, and which hub is adjustable angularly on the shaft 15 and adapted to be clamped or secured by a set screw. Theouter end of the spring is bent to extend radially through the U-shaped loop 26 attached to the lever 23.

Bracket 28, secured to the base 7, provides one bearing for the pivot shaft 27 and also serves as a stop to limit the rotation of shaft 15 by engaging a pin or projection 35 on the face of disc 20.

The clockwork contained within the dustproof case 11 consists of a mainshaft having a clockspring, a pawl, and ratchet, connecting it to a drive gear, a multiplying gear train, an escapement wheel, and an oscillating pallet, weighted to give the correct timing for each cycle of operation. This clockwork timing device, being of well known construction, further detailed description is not required.

A tabulator or counter 29, of well known construction, is secured within the completed mechanism in the following manner: In plate 8 is a rectangular opening, one side of which is open to the edge to be attached to base 7. This counter, of well known manufacture, which may be obtained in a form of plain rectangular shaped body without lugs or cars for attachment, has grooves milled on opposite sides of the body, adapting the counter to be slid into the opening of plate 8 by engaging the grooves of thecounter with the edges of said opening. After forcing the counter into place in said opening, the bottom of counter body being flush with lower edge of plate 8, said plate being then attached to base 7, the bottom of the counter body will be held against the surface of said base, and the counter will be locked in position for operation; The ratchet arm of said counter and other accessible moving parts project from the interior side of plate 8, while that part containing the number wheels projects so as to be visible from the exterior. The ratchet arm is adjusted so that a segmental piece 30 on disc 17 will depress the arm as disc 17 rotates during each operation of the mechanism The shaft 15 having been rotated by clockwork 11 until stop 35 has engaged bracket 28, lever 23 will be in its downward position, and the shutter 44, connected thereto, will be in position to obscure vision through the glass. Rotation of the handle 3 in a clockwise direction until the stop washer 5 engages the pin 36 will bring the opening bb in the rim of disc 16 into coincidence with the lower end of coin chute 12 so that a coin inserted in the slot of escutcheon 45 will fall through the coin chute into the space between discs 16 and 17 and rest upon the washer 18. As the handle 3 is rotated counterclockwise, the pin 31 will carry the coin forward past the opening in ring 19 into engagement with pin 32. Pressure of pins 31 and 32 on the coin, due to encountering torque of clockwork spring, as shaft 15 begins to rotate, forces the coin outward to roll on the inner periphery of ring 19 as it progresses toward the outlet opening 39. As the shaft 15 rotates forward, winding the clockwork spring, the spring 25 is also wound, tending to raise the lever 23, which is prevented from rising by the pin 21, bearing against the rim of disc 20. When the rotation has proceeded approximately 190 degrees, the coin'pases outwardly through the opening 39 in the ring 19, disengaging the discs 16 and 1'7. The notched opening 37 in disc 20, has then passed under the pin 21 which, owing to the form and angle of this opening and the flat surface of the pin 21 presented thereto, will pass through this opening only when the disc is rotating in the reverse direction. The relative locations of the coin outlet opening 39, the notched opening 37 and the pin 21 are such that, after the release of the coin and the starting of the shaft 15 in the reverse direction, through the operation of the clockwork escapement, a period of from one to two seconds will elapse before the I pin 21 will pass through the notch 37, permitting the lever 23 to rise and consequently open the shutter 44. This feature of the invention is essential in order that the shutter may not be opened I before the coin is discharged and a coin remain within the mechanism. On the rising of the lever 23, the pin 22 passes through the notch 38, in the rim of disc 20, diametrically opposite the opening 37. As the clockwork 11 rotates the shaft 15 toward the starting point, the spring is gradually unwound to relieve it of all tension after which the unwinding operation continues to again place the spring under tension but in a reverse direction. Consequently the lever is urged downwardly but, the opening 38 having passed under the pin 22, this pin will then bear on the outer periphery of disc 20, supporting the lever 23 and holding the shutter open until pin 22 passes through notch 37 when the lever may fall and the shutter close. Further rotation of the shaft 15 is prevented by the stop 35 engaging the bracket 28.

Having thus described and illustrated my invention, what I claim and desire to patent is:'

1. In a coin controlled binocular telescope, a movable shutter adapted normally to obscure vision, a drive shaft, a main shaft, disks carried by the respective shafts and cooperating to provide a coin-receiving space therebetween, a circumferential coin-receiving slot extending partly around one of the disks, a ring surrounding the disks for rolling contact by a coin projecting through the slot, there being a coin-receiving slot and a coin-delivering slot within the ring, pins extending from the disks and into the space therebetween for gripping opposed edge portions of a coin within said space and pressing it against the ring, thereby to couple the shafts while the coin is being conveyed from the inlet slot to the outlet slot, a motor adapted to be energized by said rotation of the coupled shafts, thereby to operate the main shaft independently of the drive shaft following the delivery of a coin from between the disks, and means operated by the main shaft While driven by the motor for opening and closing the shutter with a predetermined time interval between said movements of the shutter.

2. In a device of the class described a binocular telescope, a movable shutter normally obscuring vision therethrough, and coin controlled means for actuating the shutter, said means including a main shaft, 2. drive shaft alining with the main shaft, disks secured to the respective shafts and cooperating to provide a coin-receiving space therebetween, pins on the respective disks and in said space for gripping an inserted coin to couple the disks together and convey the coin therewith, a flange on one of the disks surrounding the space, said flange having a slot extending partly around the disk for the reception of a coin, a stationary ring surrounding the disks for rolling engagement by the coin while projecting from the disk and gripped by the pins, there being a coin-receiving slot and a coin-delivering slot in the ring, means for directing a coin into the slot in the flange, said flange when in one position, constituting a closure for the coin-receiving slot in the ring, a motor coupled to the main shaft and adapted to be energized when said shaft is rotated in one direction by the coin coupied disks, and means operated by the main shaft when rotated in the opposite direction by the motor for successively opening and closing the shutter.

3. In a device of the class described a binocular telescope, a shutter normally obscuring vision therethrough, a main shaft, a motor for driving the shaft in one direction, coin controlled meansfor rotating the shaft in the opposite direction to energize and release the motor, and means operated by the main shaft while driven'by the motor for opening the shutter and, after a predetermined time interval, closing the shutter.

a. In a device of the class described a binocular telescope, a shutter normally obscuring vision therethrough, a main shaft, 2. motor for driving the shaft in one direction, coin controlled means for rotating the shaft in the opposite direction to energize and release the motor, means operated by the main shaft while driven by the motor for opening the shutter and, after a predetermined time interval, closing the shutter, said shutter opening and closing means including a lever embracing and adapted to swing 'relative to the shaft, a spring adapted to be tensioned by the shaft when rotated in either direction, a connection between the lever and the shutter, a disk rotatable with the shaft, and cooperating means on the lever and disk for successively releasing the lever for actuation by its spring in one direction to open the shutter and for subsequently releasing the lever for actuation by its spring in the opposite direction to close the shutter, the shaft, when driven by its motor, constituting means for successively relieving the spring of its tension and then tensioning it for the exertion of force in an opposite direction.

5. A binocular telescope, a shutter normaly ob-,

scuring vision therethrough, a shaft, a lever mounted to swing relative to the shaft, a connection between the lever and shutter, a spring connection between the lever and shaft, a motor operatively connected to the shaft, means for rotating the shaft in one direction to energize the motor and place said spring under tension in one direction, said motor when energized constituting means for rotating the shaft to relieve the tension of the spring and then place the spring under tension in the opposite direction, and cooperating means on the shaft and lever for delaying the movement of the lever in each direction by its spring.

6. A binocular telescope, a shutter normally obscuring vision therethrough, a shaft, a lever mounted to swing relative to the shaft, a connection between the lever and shutter, a spring .connection between the lever and shaft, a motor operatively connected to the shaft, means for rotating the shaft in one direction to energize the motor and place said spring under tension in one direction, said motor when energized and released constituting means for rotating the shaft to relieve the tension of the spring and then place the spring under tension in the opposite direction, a disk rotatable with the shaft, a flange thereon having spaced notches, and projections on the lever for successive sliding engagement by the flange and for release through the notches, thereby to delay movement of the lever in each direction by its spring. g

7. A binocular telescope, a shutter normally obscuring vision therethrough, a shaft, a lever mounted to swing relative to the shaft, a connection between the lever and shutter, a spring connection between the lever and shaft, :1, motor operatively connected to the shaft, means for rotating the shaft in one direction to energize the motor and place said spring under tension in one direction, said motor when energized and released constituting means for rotating the shaft to relieve the tension of the spring and then place the spring under tension in the opposite .direction, a disk rotatable with the shaft, a flange thereon having spaced notches, projections on the lever for successive sliding engagement by the flange and for release through the notches,

thereby to delay movement of the lever in each direction by its spring, a stop and means on the and reverse the tension of the spring to move the lever from its normal position, cooperating means on the lever and shaft for holding the lever against movement from its. normal position and subsequently releasing it during the actuation of the shaft by the motor, said shaft, while driven 1 0 by the motor, operating to reverse the tension of the spring, and cooperating means on the shaft and lever for holding the leveragainst movement under the reversed tension of the spring during a predetermined time interval.

9. The combination with a binocular telescope and a normally closed shutter, of a shaft, a mo.- tor therefor, a lever limited in its movement by the shaft and connected to the shutter, a spring normally tensioned to hold the lever in one posi- 0 tion, means for rotating the shaft in one direction to reverse the tension of the spring and energize the lever, said shaft when driven by the motor constituting means for restoring the initial tension of the spring, and cooperating means on the shaft and lever for holding the lever against movement and for releasing the lever for actuation by its spring intwo directions successively after predetermined time intervals.

10. The combination with a binocular tele- 13o scope and a normally closed shutter, of a shaft, a motor therefor, a lever limited in its movement by the shaft and connected to the shutter, a spring normally tensioned to hold the lever in one position, means for rotating the shaft in one direction to reverse the tension of the spring and energize the lever, said shaft when driven by the motor constituting means for restoring the initial tension of the spring, cooperating means on the shaft and lever for holding the lever against movement and for releasing the lever for actuation by its spring in two directions successively after predetermined time intervals, said means including a disk rotatable with the shaft, opposed marginal flanges thereon spaced at their ends, and projections on the lever for sliding engagement by the flanges and for release through said spaces.

VERNE C. BOYDSTON. 

